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Liberty students get 'washed by the water' at annual Block Party

A little rain didn’t dampen the spirits of Liberty University students celebrating the start of the school year at Saturday night’s Block Party.

The annual event organized by Liberty’s Student Activities department to jumpstart the fall semester was hit by a heavy downpour soon before NEEDTOBREATHE took the stage.

That made the Christian rock band’s rendition of “Washed by the Water” all the more meaningful for the thousands who weathered the storm or returned to the outdoor stage after finding shelter in the recently renovated LaHaye Student Union or the LaHaye Ice Center.

Afterward, a spectacular fireworks show over the Liberty Baseball Stadium lit up the night just before 10 p.m., setting the tone for an exciting semester.

Pre-concert festivities featured a variety of rides, inflatables, and games, a mechanical bull, a photo booth, an airbrush tattoo tent, and food vendors, including two funnel cake trucks.

Sophomore Ryan Diehl, who won an NCWA national championship in wrestling last year, said he enjoyed the atmosphere and playing basketball in one of the two inflatable courts.

“I’m having a blast,” said the criminal justice major. “It takes all the stress away after the first week of classes. It’s fun just to relax with so many people out here. It’s awesome; I love it. I love Liberty.”

Senior nursing major, Brittany Lensch, said it was nice to enjoy the company of friends before classwork gets too heavy.

“I am a nursing major so this has been really nice to come and relax before the stress starts. We’re enjoying the fun while we can.”

The Block Party is just one of the more than 80 events Student Activities puts on throughout the semester, including concerts, movie nights, trail races, trips, and the semi-annual Coffeehouse held in the Vines Center.